Crankcase ventilator



June 28 1965 w. H. scHNABEL CRANKGASE VENTILATOR Filed April 29, 1964 Wil/iam H. Sc/mabe/ IN VENTOR.

BY WWW/m United States Patent O f 3,257,995 CRANKCASE. VENTILATOR William H. Schnabel, 319 E. Portland Ave., Cedarburg, Wis. Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser'. No. 363,520 7 Claims. (tCl. l23-4L86) This invention comprises a novel and useful crankcase ventilator and more particularly pertains to a device which will automatically ventilate the crankcase and remove foreign matter, sludge and other undesirable substances entrained in the crankcase vapor.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device which will automatically and continuously Ventilate the crankcase and purify the oil therein by removing therefrom solid particles, sludge and other foreign matter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance wi-th the preceding object, which will separate lfrom the crankcase vapor withdrawn from the crankcase sludge and foreign matter and collect them in a trap for subsequent removal while dischargingthe vapor components into the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine.

Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects which will purify the crankcase vapors Withdrawn therefrom by passing them through a Water bath and then discharging the innocuous and purified vapors into 4the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine for subsequent disposal therefrom.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a crankcase purifier and ventilator in accordance with a the preceding objects which will effectively prevent backflow `from the exhaust pipe into the separator trap of the device and into the crankcase of the engine.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subseuqently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic View showing a portion of a conventional internal combustion engine having the crankcase Ventilator of this invention applied thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a view in vertical central section upon an enlarged scale through the separator and water bath unit of the invention; and,

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 there is indicated generally by the numeral il@ a portion of an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with a removable crankcase cover i12 thereon together with an exhaust pipe or manifold 14. The numeral 20 designates generally the improved crankcase Ventilating and purifying system of this invention. The Ventilating system of this invention comprises a separator and water bath unit indicated generally by the numeral 30 and which is connected to the crankcase through the crankcase cover l2 as by a conduit 32 for receiving crankcase vapors therefrom together with a conduit 34 by which the purified crankcase vapors withdrawn from the crankcase are discharged into the exhaust manifold 14- for disposal thereby.

Disposed in the discharge conduit 34 is a one-way nonreturn check valve 36 of any conventional design whose purpose is to allow flow from the unit 30 into the exhaust manifold but to prevent reverse iiow therethrough. Inasmuch as the structural details of this valve form no part of the invention claimed herein and may be of any con- 3,257,995 Patented June 28, '1966 rice ventional and well understood design, a further description thereof is deemed to be. unnecessary. The conduit 34 is connected by an L-fitting 38 `and a suitable nipple 40 tapped into the manifold 114. i

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 2, it will be observed that the water bath unit and trap 30 comprises a container which may conveniently comprise a glass jar or the like 50 having an externally threaded upper portion 52 which is closed as by a threaded cap or ring 54. The container is mounted upon any suitable portion of the engine or motor vehicle -as by a mounting bracket 56 of any conventional design whose construction in itself forms no part of the invention claimed herein.

The container or jar V50 is filled preferably to any desired predetermined level by a cleaning liquid such as water which may be replenished from time to time by removing the ring or cap S4 from the jar for that purpose. Resting upon the top edge of the neck 52 of the jar and retained thereon as by the retaining ring or cap 54 is a disk or closure plate 58. A sleeve or cylindrical skirt 60 depends from this plate into the interior of the jar and the lower portion of the sleeve is perforated or apertured as at 62 yto constitute a screen. The sleeve 60 is provided with a bottom wall 64 and a body of a filtering material 66 such as Fiberglas or the like and which is surrounded by a cylindrical retaining screen. 68 is disposed within the sleeve 6@ between the top andbottom members 58 and 64 thereof. Extending through the top plate 58 is crankcase vapor inlet pipe 70 to which the conduit 32 is connected by the L-coupling 72, this pipe extending to adjacent the bottom of the tank and being provided at its lower discharge end with a fitting or coupling 74 carrying a nonreturn upwardly opening valve assemblyindicated generally by the numeral 76. This valve assembly may conveniently comprise an annular valve body 78 constituting a valve seat and with which cooperates a disk valve 80 urged to its seat as by a spring 82 retained in a spring-retaining cap 84. The valve is normally spring closed at a very light pressure as well as by the hydrostatic head of the liquid within the jar 50 but opens in response .to the pressure in the crankcase as supplied by the crankcase pipe 32. Consequently, crankcase fumes carrying with them entrained foreign matter such as water, sludge or solid particles will be discharged beneath the level of the liquid cleaning agent in the jar 50.

'I`he discharge conduit 34 connects with a nipple 86 disposed in the cap 54 and which opens into the upper portion of the sleeve 60. A fire screen as at 88 is disposed within the sleeve 68 and is secured beneath a coupling member 89 at the end of a short bushing or sleeve 90 which surrounds the upper portion of the vapor inlet pipe 70.

The arrangement is such lthat the incoming vapor being discharged below .the liquid will be washed as it lpasses upwardly therethrough leaving the sludge and foreign matter to collect in the bottom of the jar 50 from which it may be subsequently removed. The .puried crankcase vapor then passes upwardly through the filtering medium 66 and the screens formed by .the apertures 62 in the sleeve 68 and the cylindrical screen member 68, then past the fire wall 88 and into the outlet nipple 86 from whence it is discharged through the nonreturn valve 36 into the exhaust manifold of the engine.

It will be evident the device thus serves to periodically and continuously remove in an automatic manner impurities from the crankcase of the engine, thereby effecting a ventilation of the crankcase by virtue of the air drawn thereinto through the usual filler cap, not shown,

andafter purifying the crankcase 4fumes `withdrawn from the crankcase, discharges these purified and innocuous fumes into the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine from which they are subsequently discharged.

By removing from the crankcase and thus from the lubricating system of the engine impurities which otherwise would adversely affect the operation of the engine, the performance of the latter is beneficially improved.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the princi-ples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine of the type including a crankcase and an exhaust manifold, a crankcase ventilator comprising a support, an upwardly opening container removably supported from said support with a portion of the latter forming a iiuid-tight closure for the upper end of said container, said container being adapted to have vapor cleaning fluid disposed therein to a predetermined level below said support portion and above the bottom of said container, a crankcase vapor inlet conduit communicated with the interior of said crankcase at one end and opening downwardly into said container through said support portion at the other end at a level disposed below said predetermined level, a cleansed vapor outlet conduit extending through said support portion and opening into the area of said container above said predetermined level at one end and into said exhaust manifold at the other end, said outlet conduit having a non-return check valve disposed therein intermediate the opposite ends thereof, the other end of said inlet conduit including a non-return valve disposed below said predetermined level and operable to open, against hydrostatic pressure of the cleansing fiuid in said container, upon a slight increase of pressure in said inlet conduit, and filter means in said container disposed between said outlet and inlet ends of said inlet and outlet conduits, respectively, for filtering vapors cleansed in said cleansing fluid before said vapors pass outwardly of said container through said outlet conduit.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a sleeve in said container dependingly supported from said portion of said support, said sleeve surrounding said inlet and outlet conduits and said filter means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said sleeve has a perforated, lower portion and in imperforate upper portion.

4. The combination of claim 1 including a sleeve in said container dependingly supported from said portion of said support, said sleeve surrounding said inlet and outlet conduits and said filter means, said filter means comprising a cylindrical screen having a closed top and bottom and a body of a filtering medium in said screen enclosing said outlet means.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a fire wall in said filtering medium and within said screen enclosing said outlet means.

`6. The combination of claim y1 including a sleeve in lsaid container dependingly supported from said portion of said support, said sleeve surrounding said inlet and outlet conduits and said filter means, said sleeve having a perforated lower portion and a imperforate upper portion, said filter means comprising a cylindrical screen having a closed top and bottom and a body of a filtering medium in said screen enclosing said outlet means.

7. The combination of claim 6 including a fire wall in said filtering medium and within said screen enclosing said outlet means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,660 5/1928 Haase et al 55-253 X 1,889,137 11/1932 White.

2,240,459 4/ 1941 McDowell 12.3-119 3,164,141 1/1965 Jones 123-119 FOREIGN PATENTS 945,447 2/ 1964 Great Britain.

42,134 4/ 1914 Sweden.

ROBERT F. BURNETT, Primary Examiner.

D. K. DENENBERG, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A CRANKCASE AND AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD, A CRANKCASE VENTILATOR COMPRISING A SUPPORT, AN UPWARDLY OPENING CONTAINER REMOVABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID SUPPORT WITH A PORTION OF THE LATTER FORMING A FLUID-TIGHT CLOSURE FOR THE UPPER END OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID CONTAINER BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE VAPOR CLEANING FLUID DISPOSED THEREIN TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL BELOW SAID SUPPORT PORTION AND ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER, A CRANKCASE VAPOR INLET CONDUIT COMMUNICATED WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CRANKCASE AT ONE END AND OPENING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID SUPPORT PORTION AT THE OTHER END AT A LEVEL DISPOSED BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL, A CLEANSED VAPOR OUTLET CONDUIT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SUPPORT PORTION AND OPENING INTO THE AREA OF SAID CONTAINER ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL AT ONE END AND INTO SAID EXHAUST MANIFOLD AT THE OTHER END, SAID OUTLET CONDUIT HAVING A NON-RETURN CHECK VALVE DISPOSED THEREIN INTERMEDIATE THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, THE OTHER END OF SAID INLET CONDUIT INCLUDING A NON-RETURN VALVE DISPOSED BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL AND OPERABLE TO OPEN, AGAINST HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF THE CLEANING FLUID IN SAID CONTAINER, UPON A SLIGHT INCREASE OF PRESSURE IN SAID INLET CONDUIT, AND FILTER MEANS IN SAID CONTAINER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID OUTLET AND INLET ENDS OF SAID INLET AND OUTLET CONDUITS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR FILTERING VAPORS CLEANSED IN SAID CLEANSING FLUID BEFORE SAID VAPORS PASS OUTWARDLY OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID OUTLET CONDUIT. 